The Light in the Darkness
by purelily12
Summary: To Akura-Ou human's were weak creatures, and being stuck in the frail body of Kirihito only confirmed his beliefs. He is determined to get his original body back and nothing will distract him, that is until Ayumi Ono comes along. Who just may be able to show him that there is more to human's then he had once thought.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These are works of purely speculative fiction. It is not intended to infringe on any rights by and of the companies and/or individuals involved in the production of any series mentioned here.

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 1

'The colors outside today are just exquisite.' Ayumi mused to herself as she allowed her eyes to gaze out of her bedroom window. The final stages of fall were beginning to settle in and the street below showed evidence with an assortment of red, yellow and brown leaves scattered about. Ayumi could hear the wind howling and see leaves dancing about in the fall air. The whole experience brought her a sense of peace that she didn't realize that she had been missing since last autumn.

She released a soft sigh before walking away from the window pane and moving toward her white vanity dresser that settles in the corner of her room. She took a seat in front of the attached mirror and grabbed her hair brush out of one of the many drawers.

She sat there for a moment and looked at her reflection. Her black tank top clinging to her thin frame and a pair of black ripped up jeans resting themselves on her thin torso. Her hair a wild and tangled mess, sticking up in all directions. She then proceeded to run her brush gently thorough her black shoulder length hair. Once she finished she fixed the square rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Perhaps a walk in the park would do me some good." Ayumi muttered to herself with a small smile on her face. On days like this it was simply impossible for her to remain indoors. Feeling excited bubble within her, Ayumi quickly scoured her messy room to find her brown leather jacket. She finally found it under a mountain of dirty clothes she had yet to attend to. She slid her arms through each sleeve and zipped it up half way. Ayumi then grabbed her purse, iPod and keys before exiting her room.

She tumbled down the stairs in her hast to leave. "I'm going on a walk, I'll be home later." Ayumi announced as she strolled towards the front door. She slipped on her high top convers and then paused for a moment. Silence was her only reply. Not that it surprised her though since her parents rarely acknowledged they even had a younger daughter. Their lack of attention was mainly due to the fact that they have always been more focused on her older sister Mei.

The distant sound of chatter drifted to Ayumi's ears as she heard her parents conversing with Mei in the kitchen. Moving away from the front door, Ayumi walked down the hall before opening the kitchen door just a crack to peek inside.

The three of them, Ayumi's mother, father and sister, were all sitting at the kitchen table talking over a cup of tea. They all looked quite happy and the atmosphere was pleasant. Ayumi watched her mother set a plate filled with cookies on the table before reaching for a cup.

"Do you have to leave for the library now Mei?" Mrs. Ono asked, as she handed her oldest daughter a cup of hot coffee. "Now Hina, I want her to stay as well, but you and I both know that her studies come first." Mr. Ono said, then placed his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"I know that Nao." Hina sighed, "Will you be home for dinner?" She asked as she squeezed her husband's hand that still rested on her shoulder. "Of course, I still live here after all. I would never miss one of your amazing meals mom." Mei said as she pushed her waist length black hair behind her.

"What a sweet thing to say." Hina beamed, "Anyways, how is this semester going?" She asked with enthusiasm. "College is a blast mother!" Mei said as her face brightened up, "Everyone is so kind to me and my honor classes are comparable to my excelled high school classes, I have all straight A's." She spoke proudly. "You are doing a wonderful job Mei, your mother and I are very proud of you." Nao said as he gave Mei a hug.

Ayumi clenched her teeth as she turned away from the sight and moved once again towards the front door. The sudden movement did not go unnoticed though; Mei followed her down the hallway. "Ayumi, are you going somewhere? I'm on my way to the library right now, I could give you a ride somewhere seeing as it's getting a bit late." Mei said as she moved toward her. "No, thank you. I can walk just fine on my own. I don't need you to drive me anywhere." Ayumi said sharply as she stormed outside the front door.

* * *

Leaving a stunned Mei behind, she walked away quickly feeling guilt already begin to set in for her attitude. Mei was a very loving person at heart and Ayumi loved her dearly for being the only one to acknowledge her in the family, but it is a difficult task to not be frustrated with her. Mei excels at everything.

Mei also has a beautiful face and a body that would make any man kill to be with her. She is extremely smart, getting straight A's on every assignment that was thrown at her. And on top of all of that, she is very kind to everyone, and people are instantly drawn to her. These were all the reasons why Mei was clearly the favorite child.

Ayumi would be a liar if she said she wasn't jealous of her sister. To put it simply, she had never been good with her school work and was lucky enough if she got a barely passing "D" on her report card. Her face wasn't as flawless as Mei's because she had received scars due to acne and dry pale skin. And unlike most girls her age, makeup wasn't something she liked to wear often because she didn't like the feel of it on her face.

She wore black glasses that covered up her dark chocolate brown eyes. She had contact lenses, but chose not to wear them because she hated the struggling that came with putting them in her eyes. Her wardrobe was nothing at all like Mei's either. Her clothes are not as reveling and flashy as hers. They are comfortable and very basic, when she wasn't wearing her school uniform she could be found in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

It was hard for people to believe that the two of them were related, and while Ayumi had never been teased for it, people would often overlook her for how simple she choose to be. Which is what her parents unfortunately did; even though Ayumi knew they loved her, she wished that they would give her some indication that they even cared about what she wanted and what was going on in her life.

Maybe if she had worked harder and had gotten straight A's like Mei then they would say that they were proud of her too, but school had always been too hard for her. Also there was the fact that her pride denied her the option of asking for help in fear of looking and sounding like a moron.

Shaking her head suddenly, Ayumi cleared her head of negativities and focused more on her surroundings. The sky was clear and the sun felt so warm on her chilly skin. She was nearing the community park when she remembered that there was a playground up ahead with a park bench. It would be the perfect place to sit and read for a while. She was currently reading pride and prejudice by Jane Austin.

As she drew closer to her destination she saw her classmate, Nanami, dash away quickly in panic. Ayumi sighed sadly as she realized she had missed a chance to talk with her.

Nanami was always so kind to her, and would help her in class when she was struggling to do her work. Even though Ayumi never asked for her help, Nanami could always seem to tell when she needed it and would still help her despite Ayumi telling her she didn't need any help. Nanami was the only reason she was able to get a good grade on her homework assignment a few days ago. Ayumi could safely say that she considered Nanami to be her friend because she didn't make her feel stupid.

As Ayumi moved closer she noticed a young man that looked to be around her age dressed in all black. As she walked closer she noticed that there was blood covering his body. Gasping quietly, Ayumi sped up the pace until she was standing face to face with him.

He looked so badly injured, and Ayumi scanned her surroundings to see if she could find the person who did this because it diffidently was not Nanami. Whoever had done it was long gone by now and the park was silent.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked concerned, but the man only glared at her before deciding to speak. "What a foolish thing to ask." He sneered, wiping the blood off of his lip. "I beg your pardon?" She said, completely stunned by how entirely rude and cold the man was being toward someone asking if they were alright.

"Are you truly that unintelligent that you cannot understand the words leaving my mouth?" He spoke tauntingly. Ayumi felt her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment and anger at being called stupid. "God I was just trying to help!" She shouted, feeling her blood boil. "You can help me by leaving." He said as he turned away.

"No, let me help you." Ayumi said as she grabbed onto his wrist, stopping him. She looked down at the ground as she felt her anger wear off, and she found herself wondering why she was trying to help this ungrateful man when her help was clearly not wanted. "What did you just say?" He asked as he turned his head back to look at her.

He spoke to her as if he was threatening her. Ayumi took her eyes off of the ground to look at his face. The first thing she noticed was that he was quite handsome, even with blood caked on his face. His eyes were a bright red, which she found both interesting and creepy at the same time.

"I said let me help you." She all but demanded as she dragged him over to the park bench. Kirihito grounded his teeth in annoyance at this infuriating human girl. Being so demanding and freely touching him. If his body didn't feel so weak he would have shoved her away from him the minute she started pulling him toward the bench.

He watched as she rummaged through her bag intensely, and he found himself looking at her face. An idea came to his mind while watching her. Although she was not as pleasing to the eye as some of the other human women he had encountered, she was not exactly repulsive to look at either. So what he was about to do next would not be too terrible.

Ayumi's eyes widened as she felt a hand roughly turn her face. The man's eyes were closed and he was leaning in as if to kiss her. Quickly panicking, she shoved his head away from hers before their lips could touch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She shouted, face bright red. The man smirked at her in amusement and chuckled. "Again with the foolish questions." He smirked, then grimaced and clutched onto his abdomen.

Ayumi moved closer despite feeling a little bit apprehensive. Guys barely even spoke to her, let alone try to kiss her. This guy was so bipolar, wasn't he just insulting her a moment ago? Kirihito groaned in pain, this human body was such a bother. Getting bruised so easily, another reason why humans were such a disgraceful race. Suddenly, gentle hands moved his own hands away from his body and lifted his shirt up slightly to get a better look at the wound.

"Undressing me already?" He smirked, pain temporarily forgotten. "You need to go to the hospital." She said, deciding to ignore what he had said. "I refuse." He said irritated, if she had just let him kiss her then he would have been fine by now. However, the fact that she chose to stay instead of running away like that human god had left him feeling intrigued, which was the only reason he had not chased her away by now.

Ayumi pushed all feelings of shyness and uncertainty aside for the time being. This man needed her help whether he liked it or not. So if he refused to see a doctor then she would do all she could to help him right now. Even if it wasn't much it was still better than nothing at all.

She lowered his bloody shirt back down. Always the prepared one, she reached for the mini first aid kit she carried in her purse. It contained Band-Aids, Neosporin, cotton balls, gauze with medical tape, and hand sanitizer inside it. It wasn't much but she would have to make due.

She quickly rubbed some sanitizer onto her hands to kill any bacteria, then she grabbed the Neosporin and used a few cotton balls to disinfect the area around his stomach. She looked up to see how he was doing but his expression was void of all emotions as he looked at her. It made a shiver run down Ayumi's spine.

She then wrapped the area in gauze and applied the medical tape. After that was finished she then moved up to his face and dabbed at the wounds with Neosporin and another cotton ball, then applied a series of Band-Aids over all the cuts, all while avoiding eye contact with him.

By the time she was finished he looked significantly better. Not as good as a doctor would have done, but it would be enough to keep him from bleeding out in the middle of the park. Ayumi cleaned up her mess and began packing away her first aid kit. Unbeknownst to her Kirihito was watching her intensely.

It was entertaining for Kirihito to watch the girl tend to his wounds. She seemed nervous about doing it. He could tell she was nervous by the way she avoided eye contact with him throughout the whole process, but she had done an adequate enough job.

Ayumi stood up from the park bench, after gathering her stuff she turned and said "I should get going." She received no reply. He just sat there on the bench with a blank look on his face. Ayumi mentally sighed, judging by the attitude of this guy she would not be getting a thank you. It was no big surprise to her that he would not say thank you to her, but she still would have appreciated hearing it.

She took a few steps away from the man, and then stopped. "You know, you should really take better care of yourself, humans aren't exactly invincible." She said softly before getting ready to leave. "I am well aware of that, go away." He growled in irritation.

Ayumi sighed in annoyance before she started walking farther away from the infuriating man. When some distance was put between them she slowed her footsteps and turned her head back slightly to see what the man was doing. To her amazement, he was no longer alone. 'Where the hell did they come from? I didn't see anyone around a moment ago.' She contemplated as she watched two oddly dressed men stand in front of him. They were dressed in oddly designed fox masks that she found quite interesting to look at.

"Master Kirihito! What on earth happened to you?" She heard one of the men in the fox masks ask. Ayumi shook her head slightly and thought to herself. 'It's none of my business what they are discussing. I finished helping him and now I must take my leave.' She resumed walking down the parks cemented pathway until she could no longer hear them speak.

Ayumi exited the park and made her way out onto the street. Following the familiar roads home she began to think about the young man she helped and the name she heard him being called. "Kirihito," The name rolled off her tongue in a strangely pleasant way, "So that's your name." Feeling satisfied, Ayumi rounded the last corner that would lead her back home. Although she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't evade her thoughts of the young man she had just encountered. That in itself was quite unsettling to her but she brushed it off as finally made it home.

Previously at the park

Kirihito had watched the strange girl walk out of sight before he turned back to his shikigami. "Pardon the inquiry master but who might that young women be?" Monjiro asked, bowing his head in respect. Kirihito stayed silent for a moment before answering, "Just a vexing human, nothing for you to be concerned about." Kikuchi simply accepted his masters' answer and moved on.

"Now," Kirihito proceeded to say as he sat back down on the bench. "Have you done as I asked?" He inquired as he glanced around the now abandoned park. It was getting quite late, the sun had already set and the street lamps were the only thing illuminating the three men. "Yes, master Kirihito! I've done everything you've asked of me!" Monjiro exclaimed in excitement, the goofiest smile adorned his face. "Quiet down Monjiro! I already have a headache and I don't need you making it worse." Kikuchi scolded the other shikigami.

Kirihito hummed as he tuned out the two bickering shikigami, and looked out in the direction from which that girl had left earlier. 'I wonder where she took off to. I bet I could easily find her if I wanted to.' Kirihito thought to himself before deciding that he must have been delusional from the lack of blood for having ever thought what he just did. "Although it is a pity" He countered his previous thoughts, "She would have been fun to toy around with."

* * *

"I'm home." Ayumi announced once she had entered her house. The first thing she noticed was that Mei was gone, and she couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. She could also hear her parents still chatting in the kitchen.

Ayumi walked into the living area and dropped her bag on the sofa before making her way toward the kitchen. She could smell a divine aroma coming from something on the stove. "What's for dinner tonight mom?" Ayumi asked, poking her head in the doorway to the kitchen. "Sushi and ramen." Hina said as she barely glanced in her direction before she took another sip of coffee from the cup in her hand.

Ayumi nodded, before making her way to the stove to make herself a plate. She collected her food and then left the room. She walked upstairs to her room so that she could eat in peace without having her parents awkwardly talking and not including her. Upon entering she looked around at her room. It was nothing elaborate like her sisters bedroom. The walls were painted a light shade of yellow and the trim was white. Her furniture consisted of a light wooden desk that had her notes and homework scattered across it, a futon bed that was messily thrown together, a white vanity dresser and finally a large bookshelf she had received from her grandmother last Christmas.

Ayumi maneuvered around her room before plopping down onto her futon, feeling tired after the events that happened that day. She took out her phone and propped it against a pillow so she could watch something on Netflix. She was currently enthralled in a new show that started last fall. She discarded her dishes after she finished eating and finished watching her show.

Once the episode ended she laid back in bed and shut her eyes. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Kirihito. She hoped he had taken her advice and went to seek medical attention. Even if he had been a jackass to her, she still didn't wish him any harm. That was the humane thing after all.

Within minutes of laying in her bed she fell asleep peacefully to the sound of the wind rustling about outside of her window and the thoughts of an arrogant man sitting on a bench in the park.

Authors Note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and I would like to thank my beta Katface-Chan.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These are works of purely speculative fiction. It is not intended to infringe on any rights by and of the companies and/or individuals involved in the production of any series mentioned here.

The Light in the Darkness

Chapter two

The silence that usually came with the rising sun was suddenly interrupted by an obnoxious ringing that was buzzing loudly throughout Ayumi's room. Groaning softly she rolled over and her hand searched the bedside table before slamming down on the snooze button of her alarm.

With the intent to go back to sleep Ayumi closed her eyes again and started to slip back into sleep. Unfortunately her peace was short lived because her back up alarm on her cell phone screamed in her ear telling her to get back up.

"Ugh" She released, making an ungodly noise as she stretched. She sat in her bed looking a bit dazed as she attempted to wake up. Ayumi then turned and glanced at her alarm once more.

"Ah!" She shrieked jumping out of bed faster than lightning. She was going to be late! "Dammit! How many times did I hit snooze?" She shouted to herself while scrambling to get her school uniform on. Class started in fifth teen minutes! There was no chance in hell that her bus had not come already, but maybe if she ran really fast she could make it.

She rushed to get her deodorant on quickly before grabbing her backpack and glasses off of her small desk. With everything in hand she bolted down the stairs. As she grabbed her shoes by the front door, she noticed her sisters shoes were still there.

"Thanks for waking me Mei! You're such a big help!" She shouted sarcastically as she put on her shoes. It was then that Mei appeared in the doorway looking confused. "Your still here? I thought you already left!" She said grabbing her purse from the coat rack and slipping it on, along with her black flats.

"No, I must have hit snooze a bunch of times. I just woke up!" Ayumi explained as she picked her things up off the floor. "I'm so sorry." Mei apologized while lightly pushing Ayumi out the front door.

"What are you doing?" Ayumi asked in confusion. Mei was rushing ahead of her with her car keys jingling in her hand. Mei opened the driver side and looked over at Ayumi. "Hurry up, I'm driving you." Mei said, waiting for her sister to get in the car.

While to would be so much easier to get a ride from Mei, Ayumi would rather make it to school on her own then ride in a car with Mei. "No, I can get there on my own." She said moving toward the street. "Don't be silly, I would be happy to drive you. It gives us a chance to talk." Mei said happily.

Ayumi groaned softly, "Fine, whatever." No use in fighting it, Mei wouldn't give up until Ayumi settled down in her car. The quicker she cooperated the faster she would get to school.

After both got situated in the car Mei drove off quickly. Silence filled the car for a few moments until Mei decided to speak. "This is fun, we never get to spend time together." Mei said smiling brightly. "Yeah." Ayumi agreed quietly before falling silent again.

"I'm really sorry for not waking you, I thought mom or dad had before they left for work." Mei said with a guilty expression on her face. "They never wake me up Mei. They only ever wake you up." Ayumi spoke bitterly.

It was obvious to Ayumi that Mei was completely oblivious to the fact that their parents treated them both differently. This surprised her considering how smart her sister is; you would think she would notice. Mei was under the impression that their parents helped her like most parents do for their kids, but in actuality Ayumi did most things by herself. The only time she ever received help was when Mei would notice and try to help.

Ayumi stared out the window looking at the people going about their daily lives before once again being distracted by her sister. "How's your school work coming along?" Mei inquired with glee. Ayumi released a heavy sigh before replying, "It's going fine Mei."

'Doesn't she know the meaning of comfortable silence? I'd love some of it at the moment.' Ayumi though to herself as her sister yammered on in the background.

"Do you know where you want to go to school after you graduate?" Mei asked, curiosity filing her. 'Will I graduate is the question.' Ayumi thought to herself before replying, "No, I don't really want to go to college."

"Why?" Her sister exclaimed in astonishment, as if the thought of someone not going to college was unspeakable. College is not for everyone and her sister just didn't understand that. 'I'm not smart enough to even pass the entrance tests so why even bother applying.' Ayumi thought with sadness filling her heart. "I just don't think I'm cut out for college, I don't even know what I want to do with my life." Ayumi explained to her sister.

She hardly ever thought about going to college, it never exactly crossed her mind because she was never a good student. She had decided to just graduate and get a job afterwards. Ayumi didn't have inkling as to what kind of job she wanted; perhaps something at a craft store. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was sewing things.

Her grandma blessed her by teaching her how to sew over the years. She even bought her a sewing machine and supplies that she kept at the bottom of her closet. If we were to be completely honest, Ayumi was a grandma's girl to put it simply.

With the knowledge she received, it allowed Ayumi to make things like scarfs, aprons, pot holders, clothes and even a tote bag. All which resided in that clutter cluster she called her bedroom.

Mei smiled as she continued to dive down the street that lead to Ayumi's school. "You're smart Ayumi, if you don't want to go to college that is your decision, but I think you would do great. You could study to become a nurse like me." Mei suggested, hopeful that her sister might reconsider.

Ayumi chuckled softly before she rolled her eyes. It would be damn near impossible for her to become a nurse. Yesterday was proof of that; she was capable of patching up some of Kirihito's injuries but she had done a very amateur job. There was no way she would be able to learn all those medical terms like her sister was.

Being a nurse was the perfect job for Mei, she loved helping people that were injured or sick. She even volunteered part time at a local hospital assisting areas that were in need of her help. Although Ayumi loved helping people, she could not see herself fitting into that profession.

Finally they arrived at the school, Mei pulled up in front of the doors and unlocked the door to let Ayumi out.

"Have a great day!" Mei called out to her, Ayumi turned and gave a small wave before hurrying inside to get to class.

* * *

Thanks to Mei, she managed to make it to class on time, a bit early even because the teacher had not entered the classroom yet. Ayumi scanned the room and saw most of her class mates seated already. She noticed that Nanami had an open seat next to her, so she gladly took it.

"No Tomoe today, Nanami?" Ayumi asked as she pulled a notebook and pencil from her backpack and set them onto her desk.

"Nope, not today." She said glumly while playing with her pen. "You know," Ayumi began and scooted closer to Nanami, "You two are so cute together. Are you dating yet?" She asked leaning a bit closer. "Not exactly." Nanami blushed, causing Ayumi to burst into giggles.

"Well maybe you will soon." Ayumi said, hoping to encourage her friend.

Glancing around the classroom Ayumi saw that the classroom was filled with chatter. Ayumi sighed in relief when she saw that Kurama was not there, and Ayumi silently hoped that he would not be coming at all.

He was cute, but there was just something about pop stars that really grated on her nerves. Kurama was no exception. Whenever he was in class most of the girls drooled over him and tended to disrupt class while trying to get his attention. This made it even more difficult for Ayumi to focus on her work.

"Hey Momozono! I see you made it to school today." Isobe snickered as he entered the classroom. "Go stick it where the sun don't shine Isobe." Nanami spat back, while Ayumi stayed silent.

"I've been meaning to talk to you Ayumi." Isobe smirked, as he walked in front of her. "How about you set me up with your sister, hm?" He asked leaning closer to Ayumi with a cocky smile on his face.

"She is way too old for you and even if she wasn't there is no way hell she would go out with someone like you." Ayumi hissed at the asshole that was Isobe.

"Whoa, someone's in a feisty mood today." He laughed, "Please, enlighten me, why do you think she will reject me?"

Isobe stood there hovering over Ayumi as if it would somehow intimidate her. Little did he know that he was about to receive a blow to his pride in front of all the class who now seemed to be interested in their conversation.

"You want to know why? It's because my sister, whom as I have said before is way older than you, only dates men of high social status. She wants to be with someone she can have an actual intelligent conversation with. She prefers the company of kind men and you are not the most pleasant person to be around. Also there is that fact that if she did go out with you, she would be most irritated having to pick her date up because he isn't even old enough to drive. Do you feel enlightened yet or should I continue?" Ayumi asked with a smug smile on her face.

Isobe looked stunned and his face was slightly red from embarrassment. "Why you little Bit-" Isobe started to speak before he was interrupted.

The teacher walked into the room and greeted his class. Taking notice that Isobe was the only one standing, he pointedly started at him as said, "Isobe please take your seat. We are about to start class." Everyone quickly took out there notebooks and pencils. Isobe gave Ayumi a look that could kill but he reluctantly took his seat.

Mr. Takahashi drew everyone's attention to the front and began his lesson. He was a middle aged man that was tall and had black hair with streaks of grey in it. He was very strict and to Ayumi he was the hardest teacher she'd ever had.

"Today, we will start by going over last night's homework." Mr. Takahashi said as he placed a book onto his desk. "Pull out your textbook and worksheets." He ordered as he flipped through his teaching book.

Ayumi reached into her book bag and pulled out her worksheet and set it on her desk. Then reached back in her bag to retrieve her textbook. Only to find that she had every other book she needed except the one for her current class. She felt her blood run cold and the feeling of dread filled her for once again forgetting something she needed for school.

Mr. Takahashi was walking down the aisle checking homework, when he got to Ayumi's desk he stopped. "Ms. Ono, I see your worksheet but no book. Where is it?" Mr. Takahashi asked as he crossed his arms.

The whole class turned to look at her and Ayumi could feel her face heating up as she heard some students begin to whisper about how she always forgot something. "Quiet" Mr. Takahashi ordered. "Ms. Ono, how do you expect to follow along with our lesson today if you forgot your book?" He asked looking rather displeased.

"She can share with me Mr. Takahashi." Nanami spoke up, holding out her book for Ayumi. She felt touched and grateful to have someone like Nanami around. "How generous of you Ms. Momozono." The teacher commented. "See that this does not happen again Ms. Ono." He added. "It won't Sir, I promise." Ayumi spoke sincerely.

Ayumi moved closer to Nanami so they both could follow along in the book. Ayumi looked at her and mouthed the words 'Thank you'. Nanami smiled at her and patted her hand. The rest of the period went along smoother than it would have for her, thanks to Nanami and her kindness.

* * *

The last school period of the day for Ayumi was gym class. She sighed softly as she went to change in the girls' locker room. She wished Nanami was in gym class with her, but sadly she was in her music class at the moment.

Ayumi finished changing and walked out of the locker room wearing her archery uniform. It consisted of a white kimono, black hakama and black obi, with a breastplate to protect her from injury, and she had a leather glove covering her left hand.

She made her way out of the locker room and walked outside and over to the archers range. Students were lined up getting ready to shoot their arrows in sync at the circular targets across the field.

Even though she was not very good at it, archery was something she enjoyed doing. When she was asked to pick an elective at the beginning of the school year, she picked the least sporty sport from the list the teacher gave her. There were many sports on the list including volleyball, tennis, track, archery, basketball, or soccer. All of the other sports were much too tiring for Ayumi, so she picked archery because it wasn't as exerting as all the other sports, but she quickly found out it was not as easy as she thought it was going to be.

To pass the class and get a good grade, you had to have a certain number of points in whatever sport you've chosen. Ayumi was not sure how many points she had at the moment but it was not something she felt stressed about. She walked over with the other archery students, about to pick up one of the reserved bows, when her gym teacher walked over.

"Ayumi, can I speak with you for a minute?" Mrs. Yamada asked. She was a very kind young teacher. Ayumi nodded and walked over to one of the benches not far from the archery targets. "Ayumi, you are aware that you need a certain amount of points to pass this class correct?" Her teacher asked smiling politely at her. Ayumi fidgeted a bit before replying, "Yes, Mrs. Yamada."

Mrs. Yamada sighed and glanced at the other kids before turning back to Ayumi. "How about you let me help you one on one for today?" She said with a tone of encouragement. "Are my points really that low?" Ayumi frowned. "I am afraid you actually don't have any points currently my dear." Mrs. Yamada said while giving her a look of pity.

"What? How can that be? I participate and dress out every day." Ayumi said confused. "To pass the archery unit at this school you need to score at least 200 points that are on the numbers on the target by the time the unit is over." She said glancing at her score sheet in hand.

Ayumi frowned even more, she had thought that she would have had some points just for trying, but clearly that was not the case. All she knew was that she had to pass this elective, the grades in her other classes were low and she refused to have a low grade in gym class too. This was a big part of their grade after all, she'd just have to try harder. "Alright, whatever it takes." Ayumi said with determination.

Gym class lasted an hour and a half, and Mrs. Yamada stayed with Ayumi the whole time and had one of the other gym teachers assist the other students. She would help Ayumi by guiding her into the right stance and adjusting her hold on the bow for her, but each time it came to firing the arrow it would miss its target every time.

"How many weeks until this unit is over Mrs. Yamada?" Ayumi asked wiping sweat from her brow. "About four." She relayed to her student. Ayumi groaned, yes archery was an enjoyable sport for her, but now that she had to get 200 points in a few weeks the pressure was causing her great anxiety.

"If you want I will let you take the outfit and equipment home with you, but it is your responsibility to return it on the day's you have gym class. "Thank you, Mrs. Yamada." Ayumi said politely. "I will help you as much as I can, but remember that I can only do so much. You are the one that must learn to do it on your own." Mrs. Yamada said as she placed a comforting hand on Ayumi's shoulder.

Ayumi nodded, looking around she saw that most of the students have already started heading back inside to retrieve their belongings and go home. Ayumi returned to the locker room and grabbed her back pack, but she remained in her archery clothing.

Mrs. Yamada had given her a light portable archery target with the numbers lining the target. Ayumi carried it in her right hand as she slung her back pack with her books and school uniform over her shoulder.

While most of the students were heading home, that was no longer on Ayumi agenda. Instead she was heading to the park so she could practice more before it got too dark. She left the school grounds quickly so she could get as much practice in as she could before tonight. She refused to receive a bad grade in gym class too.

* * *

The park was quiet, and as Ayumi set up her equipment she realized that she was in the same spot that she met that guy Kirihito. 'It's a total coincidence that I happened to pick this spot. That is all.' She thought to herself.

She set up her numbered target near a tree and adjusted her quiver with arrows around her hip. As she held onto her bow, she took her position.

A half hour of practicing passed, and Ayumi had not been able to hit the target even once. She gritted her teeth in frustration and finally took a seat on the bench. "Why can't I do it?" She said angry at herself.

"Maybe it is because you are a horrible shot." A new voice said from behind her. Ayumi jumped and turned to see Kirihito standing behind her. "Isn't this familiar?" He cooed into her ear.

Ayumi looked him over from head to toe, the blood that had been covering him yesterday had been washed off, and the injuries that she could see now had scabbed over. "You look better." She commented as she moved the bow to her lap to occupy a space for him to sit if he needed it.

Kirihito smirked as he looked at her, he had been watching her for a few moments from a distance. He had come back to this specific spot to read and he did not expect to run into this girl again, much less the exact same spot they had met the day before. Watching her attempt to hit a simple target had been amusing for him because of the look of frustration on her face. However it was becoming boring for him to watch her miss every shot so he decided to make his presence known.

"Entertain me." He demanded as he plopped down on the bench next to her. "What?" She asked confused. "Pick that weapon up and entertain me with it." He clarified as he rested both of his arms on top of his head. Ayumi was about to protest, but maybe practicing in front of others would be good for her. If she needed to show it to the teacher, she needed to get comfortable with people watching her shoot.

She stood a fair distance away from her target and took a stance, she pulled the string far back and after releasing a deep breath, she released the arrow. Once again the arrow landed into the grass a fair distance away from the target.

"That was a sad attempt. Do it again!" Kirihito called out. "Well, I'm not exactly a professional you know!" Ayumi snapped. "Clearly" Kirihito said, he stood up and began walking towards Ayumi. She took a couple steps back as he gravitated toward her.

"Afraid of me are you?" Kirihito taunted, moving closer. "No..." Ayumi said timidly as he moved behind her. "Watching you miss is beginning to grow old on me, if you actually manage to hit the target it would be entertaining." He said oddly gentle.

Ayumi's mouth dropped open slightly as she realized that he intended to help her hit the target. She was well aware that she did not know this guy well, but maybe he was not as much of a jerk as she had thought if he was intending to help her. Even if he claimed it was for his own entertainment.

Kirihito moved closer behind her hiding the smirk on his face, making this girl nervous seemed to be amusing for him. It had been awhile since he had been able to play with someone like this.

Six hundred years ago he had learned many different forms of fighting from his opponents, though none of them had been able to defeat him. So he would in fact be helping her but would be adding his own little twist into it for his own amusement.

"Get into your stance." He ordered, Ayumi did as he said. "Open your legs more." He breathed into her ear huskily. "What?" Ayumi asked as her face heated up and started to move away from him. "Your need to widen your stance." He clarified, pulling her back to him.

Ayumi moved her legs farther apart and felt him breathe over her neck. There was just something about this man that made her feel drawn to him, maybe it was just a small attraction she had towards him, but she was not too sure about it.

She felt him place one of his hands over her own that was holding the bow, and his other hand rested on the one that was holding onto the arrow. He pulled her arms back and made her hold the position.

"Your hands are shaking, relax." He purred into her ear. Surprisingly, his voice must have been somehow soothing for her because he felt her body begin to relax slightly at his words

"Now take a deep breath, exhale and release." He quietly explained. Ayumi did as she was told and watched as the arrow flew and hit the target on the number 2 mark, it was not much but at least she managed to hit the target.

She squealed in excitement and before she could come to her senses she turned and wrapped her arms around Kirihito because she felt grateful. "Release me at once." He said, irritation obvious in his tone. Ayumi let go and looked at him in confusion. "You were just holding me so shut up." She commented, he remained silent.

"Thank you." She said with a smile on her face, "This meant a lot to me." She said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. More silence.

Ayumi sighed and shook her head, then moved to her back pack to grab her phone and check the time. She decided that it was time to head home.

"I'm Ayumi, Ayumi Ono. I'm sorry for not introducing myself before." She introduced holding out her hand. She watched as he stared at her hand for a few moments as if debating on whether or not to shake it. Finally, he grabbed her hand in a vice like grip, causing her to wince.

"Kirihito" He said flatly

When they both let go Ayumi looked at him as if she wanted to say something but she wasn't sure whether to or not. "Out with it already." He snapped, obviously irritated at her indecisiveness.

"Well...could you maybe help me again sometime?" She spoke looking up at him.

Normally asking for help would make her feel embarrassed, but since Kirihito had already started helping her she didn't see a difference in him doing it a second time. He appeared to know what he was doing.

"You don't have to." She blurted out quickly, "If you could though, I would truly appreciate it." She said softly, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

He was silent, seeming to contemplate what she was asking of him. Ayumi quickly ripped out a piece of paper from one of her notebooks to scribble something down and then handed the paper to him.

"That's my cell number, if you decide that you wouldn't mind helping me. You could give me a call or shoot me a text." She said, turning away from him.

As she began walking she felt a light blush run over her cheeks. He was attractive, she wouldn't deny it, but she did not want to date him because he didn't seem like her type at all. She really did need some kind of help though, maybe he would end up becoming her friend in the process. At the thought of receiving another friend, she seemed to brighten up as she gathered her things and started toward home.

* * *

Kirihito stared at the number in his hand. He contemplated tearing the paper to pieces, but he resisted and slipped it into his pocket.

That girl would be an excellent addition to his many toys, he could play with her until he grew tired of her. It had been a long time since he had gotten laid and even longer since he got it on with a human. Perhaps if he enjoyed himself enough he would keep her around for a little while, if she was lucky.

However, the thought of draining her of life energy was just too good to pass up. The possibilities of what he could do to her were endless. He smirked at the very thought of it.


End file.
